


A Beautiful Night

by FactorialRabbits



Series: Families of the Third Age [2]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alcohol, Many other characters make cameos, Rivendell | Imladris, Third Age, chapter 1: wedding, chapter 2-3: drunken antics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-11-24 00:52:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18159293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FactorialRabbits/pseuds/FactorialRabbits
Summary: The wedding of Elrond and Celebrian, and its aftermath.





	1. The Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> For back to middle earth month 2019. I cannot remember exactly which prompts, but 'the happiest day of their lives' and 'storytelling' were the starting point.

The moon was full and the sky was clear, bathing the gardens of Imladris in beautiful silver light. That light was aided by a combination of candles and lanterns, not to mention Gil-Estel. Elrond could almost guarantee that the star's current location was not where is was  _ supposed  _ to be at this hour, instead being directly overhead. With a perfect view of the current festivities.

Not for the first time, he wondered if he could be seen from up there - and, if so, what would his birth father say? Would he approve of his actions, of his staying behind, of his wife?

Elrond liked to think his star-father would understand, but could not remember enough of the man for it to be anything more than wishful thinking.

“Smile, my love,” the familiar voice of Celebrian broke him from his musings. “Our wedding feast is to begin soon.”

Elrond turned, giving her a soft and gentle smile, “my apologies, darling. I was lost in thought.”

She lent up to peck his cheek, “and here i am to help you find the path back.”

“Then lead on, my fairest of maidens, to our feast and our happiness,” he smiled a little as he teased, and she laughed as she led him away.

* * *

The feast was to be held in the gardens of Imladris, every inch of free space covered in tables and elves. On a small raised platform was the head table; six seats, as per tradition. Near to it was the table for the highest ranking guests - King Thranduil, King Amroth, Lord Cirdan and so forth. On its opposing side was the table for the senior staff of Elrond’s household. Everyone else had been left to find their own places somewhere, though it had naturally split itself by the homelands of the attendees.

At the head table, Galadriel and Celeborn had already taken their places as mother and father of the bride. Maglor sat in the seat of the father of the groom, whilst the mother’s chair was noticeably empty.

“Rise for the bride and groom!”

Their arrival had evidently been noticed, as one of the guards announced their presence. 

Surely enough, everyone, even the two Kings, rose to their feet. As they walked through the tables, various congratulations were called and they were showered in various bits of plant matter; leaves from the elves of Greenwood, and tiny petals from Lothlórien. A glance from the corner of his eye revealed that Erestor had confiscated the buckets of glitter that some of the Noldor had been seen with earlier.

Hand-in-hand the couple approached their seats, separating only to step around the table. 

“Your majesties, highnesses, my lords and ladies, and honoured guests, please be seated,” Elrond spoke with genuine affection for all the words had been carefully rehearsed. He paused a moment whilst seats were taken. “I most sincerely thank you for your attendance this evening, to share in my joy as I take the Lady Celebrian as my wife… There will be time for speeches once we have spoken, though I believe she wishes a few words.”

Celebrian smiled to Elrond, before raising her chin a little higher, “esteemed guests and residents of this land, I thank you for the welcome I have been granted. Though it may be presumptive as I shall not be Lady of this House for some hours yet, I still invite you all to join us in this meal. I am assured it shall be excellent; please, begin when you please and I hope you have a delightful evening.”

The two of them bowed to their guests, only slightly out of synch with one another, before taking their seats and beginning themselves.

* * *

When eventually all were satisfied and the final course had wound down, Galadriel rose from her seat. She gave a gesture, and Celeborn rose beside her. From Elrond’s side of the table, Maglor gave a nod; Glorfindel and Cirdan also rose, leaving their respective tables to approach the dias. Celeborn came over to take Elrond’s hand, whilst Galadriel took Celebrian’s. 

The couple was lead to stand before the head table, now occupied by Maglor alone. There was an amount of shuffling around to get everyone into the correct positions, and Elrond could swear he stepped on someone’s toes at least twice. Silence fell over the room as they did so.

After a suitably dramatic time, Galadriel stepped forth, and granted the traditional blessings to the couple. Glorfindel then took her position, granting the blessing’s of the groom’s father on behalf of the absent Eärendil - Maglor had refused the position for fear of accidentally cursing them in Manwe’s name.

The blessings over, Elrond and Celebrian turned to one another. They slipped off one another’s betrothal rings, before placing them on their own fingers. Then, they slipped a golden band onto each other’s hand. No words were spoken as the rings were exchanged, and neither were they as Celeborn presented Elrond with pendant of blue diamond, decorated with golden filigree forming a border of vines and leaves. The silence was broken by a quiet giggle on Celebrian’s part when Cirdan presented her with her own chained pendant; a creamy moonstone in a white-gold setting, shaped like a star. It was very distinctly not just Noldor but Fëanorian in style; it was unlikely he had made it, but Maglor’s hand in the design was clear.

Cirdan and Celeborn stepped up to give speeches and declarations to the crowd, whilst Galadriel shooed the half-wed couple back indoors with a smile.

Hand in hand, Celebrian and Elrond slipped away to finalise their marriage. As they entered their chambers, Elrond wrapped his arms around his beautiful Celebrian, and the first few notes of a song drifted up from the courtyard below.


	2. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its not quite dawn, the parents are all drunk, and Elrond is not sure he wants to know what exactly is going on.

Very early the next morning, with their vows before Eru made, their marriage consummated, and their bodies mostly recovered from than consummation, Elrond and Celebrian returned to the festivities. Dawn was still a little way off, the sky just starting to take on a vaguely pink tint.

It was quickly apparent that the parents of the bride and groom had been left together unattended. Or not quite; King Amroth appeared to be napping under the bench Maglor was sat on, playing a little ditty on a harp. Galadriel was reclining on another bench, wine glass in hand and Celeborn sat quite cheerfully between her legs.

Elrond was of a mind to check for potential kinslayings at his wedding; Celebrian assured him that there did not appear to be current problems, but followed behind him with a wicked grin. As they approached, the conversation became clearer, as did the alcohol in everyone’s voices. It appeared Celeborn had just finished responding to something, and then he continued on.

“And  _ did  _ I tell you about the time Oropher snuck out of Doriath? Grandfather was furious, and somehow we had to keep the news from Uncle.”

“Yes, my love. You have.” Galadriel rolled her eyes affectionately.

“I wasn't asking you,. I was talking to the other guests.”

“I cannot say I have heard that one, no.” Maglor sounded significantly more sober than anyone else in the group, but there was a hint of something in his voice.

Galadriel shot her cousin the filthiest look known to elvenkind. Maglor grinned back; Elrond had suspected that his foster father had heard the story before, but this really just confirmed it.

The small glimmer of hope that Thranduil was not part of the discussions was crushed as he saw the king wander over, carrying a number of bottles of what Elrond prayed was wine. He flopped dramatically down beside Maglor, and Elrond had to blink a few times as the King  sprawled dramatically across the bench Maglor was sat on. Or, more specifically, across the Fëanorian’s lap. Maglor seemed remarkably unphased by this, and also by the fact it forced him to stop playing, to Thranduil’s evident disappointment.

He handed one of the bottles to Maglor, who had somehow managed to convince someone to allow him a corkscrew. It was opened and passed along to the left. Soon enough, everyone had their own bottle. Elrond and Celebrian included.

Celebrian grabbed Elrond’s wrist when he tried to leave to find Glorfindel and Erestor, surely more sensible company than this, dragging him to sit on the floor beside her with a grin. 

“So, Daddy, you were going to tell a story,” Celebrian lent on Elrond’s shoulder, trapping him in place.

“Ah yes!” Celeborn sat up a little, only to be pulled back against Galadriel’s chest, where she placed a kiss to his head and twisted her fingers into his hair. “Oropher and the Great Girdle Disaster! This would be… Oh, maybe about… Ah yes, the year Finrod died. Poor lad. Anyway…” the story was incredibly disjointed, and Elrond could barely follow it.

Once it was over, however, Maglor lent back and patted Thranduil’s head a few times, “you think that was bad? You should hear about what the twins got up to as children…”

The moment Elrond realised that Maglor meant himself and Elros, not the Ambarussa, he leant over and snatched his foster father’s bottle of wine.

Maglor laughed, grabbed another from somewhere, and started a particularly embarrassing story about the incident with the kingfisher. Elrond took a very large gulp of the wine, far too sober for this conversation, but unwilling to do anything to stop Celebrian’s delighted giggling.

He kissed her cheek, earning a bright smile as she nestled closer to his side and listened closely.

Elrond handed the wine bottle back to Maglor, who took a small mouthful before continuing; he would deal with the embarrassment if it pleased his darling wife. He would deal with anything for that.

Except, maybe, finding out just what was on the note his foster father had just handed to Thranduil.


	3. Meanwhile, With The Senior Staff...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erestor and Glorfindel spend the wedding party getting drunk in a hedge maze. What follows is largely determined by a few buckets of glitter, neither of them being in the slightest sober, and Lindir coming to look for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filling all Glorestor card prompts on this chapter: 'swimming in the brunien', 'getting drunk on miruvor together' and 'hiding from Lindir'. Also somewhat inspired by LOTRO's spring festival as I have hedge mazes on the brain thanks to that.

There was a wedding party going on, and that was the reason that Erestor was sat on a picnic blanket at one of the most obscure dead ends of the Celeborn-approved (or insisted upon really) hedge maze. He had merely been here to stash more of the contraband where he but no other could find it, but then the Lord-Captain had appeared with a tartan blanket, a few bottles of miruvor and the offer of company. 

Erestor was also not sure why he had agreed to this, but he had and that, as they say, was that. 

Lord-Captain Glorfindel had quite evidently already been drinking before finding Erestor. Still, he had not appeared drunk, merely tipsy.

Now he was certainly measurably drunk, and Erestor was particularly tipsy.

It was for exactly this reason that Erestor did not notice the Lord-Captain  grab a handful of glitter from one of the buckets until the precise moment it was blown in his face and too late to dodge. 

Before he could give proper consideration to just what he was doing, Erestor picked up once of the other buckets and upended it over Lord-Captain Glorfindel's head. 

His expression, even if it hasn't been coated in glitter of all colours, was priceless. And set Erestor off into a fit of giggling.

The confused, then irritated, expressions lasted only a few moments before the Lord-Captain’ own, deep laughter joined in. Erestor did his best to pull himself back to formality, but the moment he managed it, Glorfindel would blow another fistful of glitter over him, and begin another fit of giggles.

Finding himself a moment to breathe, Erestor also grabbed one of the other buckets, inching towards Glorfindel with a dark grin. His target gave a loud laugh, before running off into the maze. 

Erestor have chase, bucket still in hand and everything else abandoned. 

* * *

The chase did not last long; Erestor and Glorfindel were near perfectly matched for pace (Erestor was not surprised by this, given all of his running about the House, but the Lord-Captain seemed to be), and seemed to tire at the same rate as well (this was more unexpected, but then the Lord-Captain had had significantly more to drink), but outside forces came to apply. 

“Master Erestor? Captain?” Lindir’s voice glittered between the hedges. “I require your assistance with a matter.”

Under usual circumstances, Erestor would have of course gone to the aid’s side. However, this was a party, he was more drunk than he was willing to admit, and the chances of it being anything serious were minimal to non-existent. Not to mention the sheer disrespect of referring to the Lord-Captain as merely captain. 

Said Lord-Captain seemed to have at least one of these same thoughts, for he slowed. Moments before a collision, he grabbed Erestor's hand and attested sprinting towards the far exit. 

Together they ran, and Erestor had to wonder at how Lord-Captain Glorfindel was managing to navigate the maze, with as much alcohol having been consumed as had been. And with as much as Erestor had consumed, it took him some time to realise that they were just walking at random.

Or, well, randomly where Lindir did not appear to be.

Erestor would probably feel bad about this in the morning, but for now found himself giggling once more as he was led away.

* * *

Eventually, they escaped the maze. Still, Lord-Captain Glorfindel led Erestor on. 

He lead him to the River, and promptly pulled off his outer robe before diving into it. Erestor could not help but stare a little, though thankfully his underrobe covered most things.

“Come on!” the Lord-Captain called. “‘Tis not yet cold!”

Erestor shook his head in refusal, but had made a sore miscalculation; the Lord-Captain and he were close enough that he could be pulled into the water. And that was exactly what occurred, Erestor still fully dressed.

The bucket of glitter he still had in hand came into the water with him, spilling out into the water and making a rainbow of sparkles under the star-light.

As beautiful as it was, Erestor was not impressed. He dragged Lord-Captain Glorfindel under the water for a few moments, before letting him go, splashing his face and swimming over to one of the rocks. He pulled himself up, taking off his top layer and spreading it out to dry before perching himself at its highest point.

He sat there for some time, watching Lord-Captain Glorfindel swim only just enough to keep his place. In the distance, the sun ever so slowly rose over the mountains, causing the water and few remaining bits of glitter to glisten in Lord-Captain Glorfindel’s hair.

Erestor somewhat wishes for a pipe, but even if he had had one, it would have been ruined in the impromptu swim. A couple of minutes after, the Lord-Captain also pulled himself out and onto the rock, sitting next to Erestor and offering him a silent arm.

He leant against his side, quickly bought into a half-embrace.

"I am proud of our Lord Elrond," Erestor quietly offered as he watched the sun. "He is doing well, despite everything."

"Aye," Lord-Captain Glorfindel shifted a little, getting more comfortable. "May every happiness be theirs."

"Every happiness and every blessing," he quietly agreed, eyes drifting to where Gil-Estel glinted still.

A companionable silence reigned until, at last, they drifted into reverie.

And there they still were some hours later, when Lindir finally caught up to them.

**Author's Note:**

> Of the two following chapters, one is mostly written. Both are a significantly less serious.
> 
> For logic, Cirdan as a kinsman of Thingol is taking Elwing's place at the wedding, whilst Glorfindel as Gondolin's favourite Lord represents Eärendil. Maglor is not willing to stand as father because oaths and curses. His presence may or may not be explained in a prequel.


End file.
